1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to biomass. More particularly, this disclosure relates to alternative paths to alcohols and hydrocarbons from biomass.
2. Background of the Invention
Biomass is biological material that can be converted into fuel. Biofuels may be produced from most biological, carbon sources. For example, biofuels may be produced from sources such as photosynthetic plants. Biofuels may be used in a wide variety of applications, such as for cooking, heating, and transportation.
There are many technologies that produce biofuels from biomass. For example, ethanol may be produced from lignocellulosic biomass. Enzymatic production of free sugars from biomass has been reported. The sugars are then directly fermented to ethanol. Also in the prior art is gasification of biomass to synthesis gas (CO and H2), which is directly fermented to ethanol, or may be catalytically converted to mixed alcohols. Various technologies enzymatically produce free sugars from biomass, and the sugars are subsequently fermented to acetic acid using homoacetogens. The acetic acid may subsequently be hydrogenated to ethanol using the methods described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,927,048 and 7,351,559.
Routes to hydrocarbons include the following: alcohols produced by the above methods can be converted to hydrocarbons using a zeolite catalyst; synthesis gas produced by gasifying biomass can be converted to hydrocarbons by using a Fisher-Tropsch catalyst; sugars may be catalytically converted to hydrocarbons; and biomass may be converted to hydrocarbons by pyrolysis.
Although various technologies exist for producing biofuels from biomass, there is a need in the art for new, improved more efficient systems and processes for the production of alcohols and/or hydrocarbons from biomass.